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This interactive workshop is designed to guide participants through the first stages of developing an action research project: problelmatizing practice, finding a topic, developing a critical question, choosing a study design, and connecting critical literature to an action research study. Participants will work towards designing a draft action research proposal.

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Problematize the Cluster: Critical Colleague Interview Share your cluster with a critical colleague. Describe an experience that might best illustrate the focus behind your cluster. Critical Colleague listens hard for the following: Assumptions Beliefs, biases What might be missing or may be overlooked. (What other problem sources, possibilities may exist?) Synthesize what you hear as the “real” focus or question.

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Developing a Critical Question Important to youWithin your sphere of influence Contains a good ideaAuthentic FocusedCompelling Supports a mission/belief/valueBenefits students Informs your workIs your work – not outside your work; will be meaningful to you and your students

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Evolution of a Critical Question How can high school chemistry students learn to study more effectively? The question is too broad. How would you define study skills? What does effective look like? Why do you want students to study more effectively? For what purpose? Will teaching my HS chemistry students study skills enrich their understanding of the content area? Getting closer… Study skills is a broad area that has different meanings for different people. Define “study skills.” Why these skills? What is within your sphere of influence? How might the use of graphic organizers, quick draw chalkboards & review games increase my HS chemistry students’ content vocabulary? Question is more focused. Specific study skills are identified. Purpose is clear. Possibility for meaningful results. How will this question guide the study?

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Give it a try: Draft a possible critical question based upon one of your clusters.

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What attributes of an online small group learning environment engages students most effectively? What factors contribute to engaged online small group learning? What characteristics must be present to foster engaged small group learning in an online discussion course? What factors work together to create an environment where individuals engage in online discussion in critical and informative ways? What factors work together to create an environment where individuals engage in an online course to foster meaningful discussion and learning? What factors work together to create an environment where individuals in an online course engage in active and meaningful discussion? What makes EDUC 632 click or not click?

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Sharpening the Critical Question 1.Write your current CQ in the middle of the page or workspace. 2.Identify 1-2 words or terms in the CQ that seem ill-defined, vague, too broad, or otherwise problematic. Circle. 3.Start with one of the words/terms. Draw a line away form the word/term. Brainstorm about the word/term. Clarify, question. Narrow or broaden. Rewrite. A CQ should act as scaffold, not a fortress. 4.Continue to work through the question.

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Research Design & the Critical Question Integrated ActionSelf-StudyEthnographyCurriculum Analysis To specifically “try out” a teaching method, practice or approach in order to address a concern or to improve student learning: an intervention To deliberately focus on self as the teacher (role, talk, actions) in order to address a concern or to improve student learning. To better understand an issue, dilemma, situation – a study of culture and/or dynamics. To analyze curriculum, based upon the literature in the area, to ascertain strengths, weaknesses that can be addressed during implementation.

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What factors work together to create an environment where individuals in an online course engage in active and meaningful discussion? How does my online talk, individual and group responses, and emails influence an online discussion course? Will the inclusion of online live small group chats serve to further engage and sustain an online course? What text qualities most encourage small group online discussions? ? Ethnography Self-Study Curriculum Analysis Integrated Action

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Research Design & the Critical Question: Revise CQ according to design-type Integrated ActionSelf-StudyEthnographyCurriculum Analysis To specifically “try out” a teaching method, practice or approach in order to address a concern or to improve student learning: an intervention To deliberately focus on self as the teacher (role, talk, actions) in order to address a concern or to improve student learning. To better understand an issue, dilemma, situation – a study of culture and/or dynamics. To analyze curriculum, based upon the literature in the area, to ascertain strengths, weaknesses that can be addressed during implementation. What gets to the heart of what you want to study?